vëlla

Albanian

Etymology

Uncertain.

1) From Proto-Albanian *swe-laudā, *swe representing the reflexive *u (“self”), and *lauda, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁lewdʰ- (“man, people”), thus meaning belonging to the same people.[1]

2) From *vëllaz (in plural (Gheg) vëllazën), from *waládža, from Proto-Albanian *(a)waládja, metathesis of *awádlja, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂euh₂ó-dʰli̯os (“mother's brother”). Same sense development as motër (“sister”), from *méh₂treh₂ (“mother's sister”).

3) From Proto-Indo-European *h₁lewdʰ-, possibly < *uai-láu(d) (< *suoi- h1loudhi-), an old compound with the reflexive pronoun ve(të) (“own, self”). The plural stem *vəɫaz- (> vëllezër / vëllazën) can be derived phonetically from *laudźi-.[2] Possibly related to Phrygian vela (“family, relatives”). A connection to Finnish veli, Estonian veli (“brother”) (see Proto-Finnic *velji) has been proposed, although this is improbable.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): [vəˈɫa]

Noun

vëlla m (indefinite plural vëllezër, definite singular vëllai, definite plural vëllezërit)

  1. brother

Declension
Declension of vëlla
indefinite definite
singular plural singular plural
nominative vëlla vëllezër vëllai vëllezërit
accusative vëllanë
dative vëllai vëllezërve vëllait vëllezërvet
ablative vëllezërish

References
  1. Orel, Vladimir (1998) Albanian Etymological Dictionary, Leiden, Boston, Köln: Brill, →ISBN, page 503
  2. Demiraj, Bardhyl (1997) Albanische Etymologien: Untersuchungen zum albanischen Erbwortschatz [Albanian Etymologies: Investigations into the Albanian Inherited Lexicon] (Leiden Studies in Indo-European; 7)‎ (in German), Amsterdam, Atlanta: Rodopi
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